Gigabyte updates some motherboards to Thunderbolt 3 with firmware update

Gigabyte announced its GIGABYTE GA-Z170X-Gaming G1, GA-Z170X-Gaming GT, and GA-Z170X-Gaming 7 motherboards have received Thunderbolt 3 certification from Intel. Owners of these motherboards can download a firmware update that will enable Thunderbolt 3 support on the motherboard, this was always part of the feature set but it seems the software wasn't ready yet at launch.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, is pleased to announce that its support for Intel® Thunderbolt™ 3 has expanded with the certification by Intel of the GIGABYTE GA-Z170X-Gaming G1, GA-Z170X-Gaming GT, and GA-Z170X-Gaming 7 motherboards.

Users that wish to upgrade their motherboard can download an updated version of the firmware from GIGABYTE’s website. Once the user installs the updated firmware, Thunderbolt™ 3 support will be enabled on the motherboard.

Powered by Intel’s own Thunderbolt™ 3 controller, the new Thunderbolt™ 3 protocol, which is available over a USB Type-C™ connector on the back I/O of select motherboards, brings an unprecedented single-wire bandwidth of up to 40 Gb/s -- twice more than the previous generation!

Thunderbolt™ 3 over USB Type-C™ supports DisplayPort 1.2, which is able to drive a 4K resolution display at 60 FPS, and revolutionary industry-first features such as power delivery up to 36W, as well as the ability to daisy-chain up to 6 devices per USB Type-C port.

Support for Thunderbolt™ 3 on the GIGABYTE GA-Z170X-Gaming G1, GA-Z170X-Gaming GT, and GA-Z170X-Gaming 7 motherboards opens up a world of new possibilities thanks to the bandwidth that it provides. Users can download the updated firmware today to enable support on their motherboard.